A need for the present invention has arisen as a result of practical experience in the field with certain reusable shipping containers for household goods and the like which have separable panels joined in assembled relationship at the corners of a boxlike formation by separable spring clips and coacting metal reinforcing plates. Such a reusable shipping container is fully disclosed in the above-referenced patent application and the same form of container is disclosed in this application.
Occasionally, during the knocking-down of containers of the mentioned type and in the releasing of the right angular spring clips which secure them, one of the clips, after being released by a screwdriver blade or like implement, will tend to fly off of the container and could potentially injure an eye or some other part of nearby personnel. While no such injuries have occurred as far as can be determined, the present invention has been conceived in the interest of maximum human safety to avoid even the remotest possibility of such a happening or injury during the release of the securing spring clips in the field.
The present invention provides a clip having special means to receive a release implement, such as a screwdriver blade, at one arm only of the clip and within a special opening at the adjacent reinforcing plate which interlocks with one terminal of the clip when the clip is applied to the container. The other clip locking terminal is received removably in a relatively narrow locking slot of the other reinforcing plate forming the adjacent corner of the container in such a manner that when the one arm of the clip is released by use of the implement, it is not possible for the clip to fly off of the container at high velocity and strike someone's eye or face or cause any injury whatsoever. The released clip will instead remain loosely attached to the container and can be lifted free without difficulty. In other aspects, the invention is essentially as disclosed in said prior application.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.